Category Archives: Ages 13 and Up Series

Fitting that this is my first review, seeing how it was an Artemis book that inspired me to create the blog.

Author: Eoin Colfer

Summary: Young Artemis Fowl seeks to recover his family’s fortune, using his vast intelligence to take his missing father’s place as a crimelord. He finds himself in an incredible situation, though, when he kidnaps a fairy and holds her at ransom. His adventures with LEPrechaun officer Holly Short, dwarf Mulch Diggums, Foaly the Centaur and other mythical creatures from the world below continue for a total of five books, with a sixth planned for late 2007.

Two Cents: This series hooks you. I picked it up because it was a big seller and the fifth volume had just come out when my local store put hardcover versions of books 2-4 on sale for $7 each, as well as the first at a special $3.99 ($2.99 in the U.S.) price. It was a just in case I ever decide to read these kind of buy and I’m glad I did. The introductory book is a bit hard to get into at first, but as the series progresses the characters develop in wonderful ways and Colfer isn’t afraid to put them in danger. The adventures are exciting and full of interesting concepts and technology, and the emotions the characters (particularly Artemis, Holly and Butler in the later books) go through are incredibly convincing.

Recommended For: 9-15s and maybe even higher. I’ve noticed that this is shelved both in the preteen and teen sections – good decision there. Fans of spy novels, adventure novels and even fantasy readers can get into this. Easy to read and impossible to put down.